Share the budget pain

If it were 10,000 CEOs getting pink slips from the governor, it is probable that at least one other Republican in the Legislature would vote to pass the budget. But it's only 10,000 working families.

As long as the programs passed by the majority of legislators can be blocked from being funded by one-third of the legislators, we the people cannot put our money where our mouth is. The wealthiest few do not want to pay taxes for the common good. The richest think they can survive a depression. The California economy, they keep telling themselves, is the seventh-largest in the world.

Doesn't patriotism mean that we are our brother's keeper?

John Chendo

Davis

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Because Republican lawmakers believe that it is better to have no state government than to pay for it, the governor should suspend projects and services in their districts and use the savings to fund them in the rest of the state.

Michael E. Mahler

Los Angeles

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Why does The Times continually paint the budget picture as one last Republican causing all the trouble?

The real trouble is the Democratic majority, which doesn't understand living within your means and cutting the budget to fit the funds at hand. Cut, fire, starve people -- whatever it takes to remove the 40% spending increase since Gov. Gray Davis was recalled.

David O'Shea

Costa Mesa

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Re "State's GOP lawmakers should do the budget math," Column, Feb. 16

As a Republican, I have been watching in dismay as George Skelton and others attack the Republicans in Sacramento who are holding out on the budget. I believe that not just Republicans but many other informed voters are thanking their lucky stars every day that the governor and the Democrat-controlled Legislature have not gotten their budget passed. The $14.4-billion tax hike that the Republicans are balking at is going to be an unmitigated disaster for California.

I find it amusing at this time that the "out-of-power" and "out-of-touch" minority Republicans are single-handedly preventing the further destruction of the livelihoods of California's Obama voters. It has become more and more apparent to me that members of the Assembly and the governor don't care what they do to the California economy as long as they do not have to admit that California government is a corpse.

Dan Halderman

Long Beach

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Re "One big winner in state budget," Feb. 14

The big winner is the legal California worker, who will be called on to produce the goods and services these large multistate and multinational companies provide.

It is time Californians and our elected politicians transform this state into an economy that creates more jobs, reduces unemployment and produces goods and services for consumers everywhere.

The proposed California budget is a step in the right direction because it does not balance $42 billion of deficit spending on the backs of large employers. If this budget is signed into law, Californians will owe a few of our elected officials and the governor a debt of gratitude for a difficult battle well fought.

Jeffrey Thornburg

Cerritos

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Count this "valued" state worker as one of the losers in the current proposed budget.

I have devoted more than 21 years to state service, working in an environment in which I have been hit, scratched and spit on. I am being furloughed two days a month, getting an almost 10% pay cut.

Now I read that I also will be receiving another gift from the state government in the form of higher taxes. I can see that the only clear winners are big corporations.

No wonder Colorado is recruiting Californians to move there. It is starting to sound like a good idea.